Memories of the year: Meeting Simoncelli

One month before his tragic death in the Sepang Grand Prix, Sam Tremayne had the privilege of meeting Marco Simoncelli on a cold and blustery day in Cumbria. He hopes never to forget his memories of 'Super Sic'...

A cold and blustery September day in Cumbria may be instantly forgettable in normal circumstances, but it was in Penrith – or more specifically in a disused section of airfield in Penrith, and under a sheet of hazy rain – that I met Marco Simoncelli.

My brother, having worked in MotoGP for the past two seasons, had given me a few pointers if I needed to break the ice, but I never had the cause to use them. Simoncelli came across exactly as he had on television – warm, entertaining, charismatic and open, happy to talk and to answer questions.